Fence EZ hardware

ABSTRACT

Attachment hardware to fasten a variety of fencing cross rails with various cross sections, such as round, square, hexagonal and the like, depending upon the needs of utility and decor, to fence posts, to hold in place fence slats, wire, panels and other common fencing materials, especially where the ground is uneven.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Division of Postall Easy Install Posts and Fences, application Ser. No. 11/880,721 of Jul. 24, 2007

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to fence hardware for easily attaching fence rails to posts which are installed on a level or variable elevation or angular receiving materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently a number of types of posts are installed in earth, sand and other receiving materials, usually by first digging a large hole, setting in and bracing the post and pouring cement or concrete around the post. Once the cement or concrete has set, the bracing is removed, all of which is time consuming. Fencing is then nailed or otherwise attached to the posts.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is a main object of this invention to provide an easy to install post and fencing system using materials that minimally affect plant life.

It is another object of this invention to provide a post and fencing system which can be installed without pre-digging large holes or the use of cement or concrete.

It is an added object of this invention to provide one or more types of plain or ornate fencing systems which can be quickly installed using simple hand tools and or powered equipment.

It is yet an additional object of this invention to provide a post installation that breaks up a minimum amount of receiving material and increasingly compacts the receiving material as posts are installed, to finish with posts resting in hard, firmly packed receiving material.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a post installation that finishes in solidly compacted receiving material which has been subjected to a minimum of disturbance.

It is even an added object of this invention to provide a finished post installation with maximum contact, especially at or near ground level, between a post and a receiving material.

It is an object of this invention to provide hardware with which to attach fencing to posts.

OPERATING PRINCIPALS

Postall system parts are molded, machined and or cast of plastic, metal, composite materials and or wood and the system is initiated by having a cutter shaped end as the lowest section of a post, to cut away receiving material as the post is rotated. Postall posts have screw threads beginning at the diameter of the top of the cutter shaped lowest end and increasing in diameter and thickness as the threads rise up the tapered lower hull portion to ground level, with a straight, tapered or shaped above-ground portion of round, square, fluted or otherwise decorated cross section. The post is rotated manually or by machine using simple tools, whereby the post cuts and screws itself into a receiving material such as dirt, sand, gravel and mud. With an increasing diameter lower hull portion, increasing diameter and thickening screw threads on the lower hull portion, immediately above the cutter shaped lowest end section, increasingly compacting the receiving material and securing a tight fit, a greatly increased resistance to movement by a finished post is achieved in a well compacted receiving material. It is important to note that evenly spaced, increasing in diameter and thickening screw threads follow along the same track made by the initial thread through the receiving material without breaking up that material, but further compacting it. Once the posts are in place the Fence EZ hardware is attached to the posts and cross rails and fence elements are attached to various parts of the hardware and a completed fence is achieved.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the Postall invention is a round post having screw threads extending around its tapered lower hull section, from a small diameter, just above its lowest section, which is cutter shaped, upward and outward to where the post will extend above the ground, with the outside diameter of the threads and the thread thickness also increasing from the lower cutter shaped section to where the above ground section of the post begins, to cause maximum compaction of the receiving material around the post for maximum grip of the post, to give the post greatest resistance to movement. Many above-ground cross sections, such as round, square, fluted and hexagonal are used, often depending upon the preferred appearance. A variety of Fence EZ hardware fittings can then be attached to the posts to create differing fence appearances and to compensate for uneven ground elevations. Cross rails, vertical panels and fencing panels or slats are then attached to the Fence EZ hardware.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Postall installation showing round lower section posts screwed into a receiving material, with ground level, 105, being the transition point from a round, tapered in-ground hull, with threads, to a square cross section above ground post, 100, having attachment means, 101, whereby rectangular section cross rails, 103, are attached to posts, to which are attached fence slats, 106, and with decorative square section post caps, 102, installed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a typical Postall fencing installation where a round lower section with screw threads, 110, is screwed down between and not damaging tree roots, 112, and with cross rails, 108, attached to the above-ground posts, 111, by way of angularly adjustable attachment hardware, 109. Note that one post, 104, is installed into bottom mud, 116, in a pond, 114, and has an upward extension, 115, to provide a horizon-level appearance of the cross rails, with post caps, 107. The upper end of the screw threads, 113, are also shown at ground level.

FIG. 3 shows an above ground-level square cross section Postall post.

FIG. 4 shows an above ground-level round cross section of a Postall post.

FIG. 5 shows an above ground-level octagonal cross section of a Postall post.

FIG. 6 shows an above ground-level hexagonal cross section of a Postall post.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a long lead screw thread Postall post, showing ground level, 117, as the upper end of a tapered hull, 120, with increasing diameter and increasing thickness screw thread, 118, ending at ground level, and a lower, smaller, screw thread, 119, and a cutter shaped end section, 130, as the lowest end of a post for use in a firm receiving material and pointing out the locations of screw thread cross sections 162, 163 and 164 forming FIGS. 7 a, 7 b and 7 c.

FIG. 7 a illustrates the relative distance from the centerline, 166, of a Postall post to the outside diameter, 165, of the screw thread, 168, and the relative thickness, 168, of the screw thread, which extends outward from the sidewall, 169, of the post.

FIG. 7 b illustrates the relative distance from the centerline, 166, of a Postall post to the outside diameter, 175, of the screw thread, 173, and the relative thickness, 172, of the screw thread, which extends outward from the sidewall, 169, of the post.

FIG. 7 c illustrates the relative distance from the centerline, 166, of a Postall post to the outside diameter, 182, of the screw thread, 181, and the relative thickness, 180, of the screw thread, which extends outward from the sidewall, 169, of the post.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a medium lead screw thread Postall post, showing ground level, 117, as the upper end of a tapered hull, 120, with increasing diameter and increasing thickness screw thread, 121, ending at ground level, a lower smaller screw thread, 122, and a cutter shaped end section, 130 as the lowest end of a post for use in a medium density receiving material.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a double lead screw thread Postall post, showing ground level, 117, as the upper end of a tapered hull, 120, and two tapered screw threads, 123, ending at ground level, two lower smaller screw threads, 124, further down the lower hull, and a cutter shaped end section, 130, as the lowest end of a post for use in a looser, sandier receiving material.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a typical post cap for a square cross section Postall post.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a typical post cap for a round cross section Postall post.

FIG. 12 is a cutaway side view of an angularly adjustable Fence EZ attachment device having a semi-spherical housing, 127, the inside front to back dimension of which is slightly less than the spherical diameter of a mating spherical end, 128, with a rail support shaft, 129, held in place by pressure exerted through hardware, 125, when holding the spherical housing against a post, 126. Note that the rail support shaft, 129, can be moved within the semi-spherical housing, 127, to point in a wide range of directions to compensate for uneven ground elevations and angles.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a Fence EZ rail attachment plate, 134, having an open center section, 133, with arched loops formed at each end, 131, to receive a rail attachment member as shown in FIG. 16, and hardware holes, 132, to affix the attachment plate to a flat sided post.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a square Fence EZ spacer-adaptor to receive an appropriately sized square fence rail, with the spacer-adaptor having a center bore hole, 137, made to fit the shaft, 129, of the rail support shown in FIG. 12, a square body section, 140, and an end stop, 141.

FIG. 15 is a cutaway side view of round Fence EZ spacer-adaptor to receive an appropriately sized round fence rail, with the spacer-adaptor having a center bore hole, 137, made to fit the shaft, 129, of the rail support shown in FIG. 12, with an exterior diameter, 138, sized to fit regular plastic pipe and a larger diameter section, 139, to act as an end stop.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a Fence EZ rail attachment member made to fit inside of the part shown in FIG. 13, having a rail insert section, 136, able to pivot left and right, with its top and bottom bosses, 135, held against a flat sided post to which the rail attachment plate in FIG. 13 is attached by hardware placed through the holes, 132, in FIG. 13. Note that two sizes of cross rail, to which other fencing may be attached, can be used with this one part. A small cross rail can be inserted inside, 130, while a larger cross rail can be inserted over the outside, 136.

FIG. 17 is a cross section view of a rail attachment, with a rail support shaft, 129, a round, square or rectangular spacer-adaptor, 138, on the rail support shaft, 129, a spherical housing, 127, and a spherical end, 128, with attachment hardware, 125, fastening the assembly to a post, 126. Note that a wide variety of cross-section shapes can be devised and used for item 138 to meet the cross section shape of a matching fence rail.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the parts shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, assembled, with top and bottom bosses, 135, a rail attachment plate, 134, and a typical rectangular cross section rail, 144, placed over a rail insert member, 136.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a Fence EZ rail attachment assembly showing a round post attachment plate, 142, with a spherical housing, 127, a spherical end, 128, and a round spacer-adaptor, 138, over a rail support shaft, 129, and a round cross section rail, 143, made to internal and external diameters of common metal and or plastic pipe. Note that a smaller fence rail, the inside dimension of which is slightly larger than the outside dimension of the support rail shaft, 129, shown in FIGS. 12 and 17, can be fitted directly over the support rail shaft, 129.

FIG. 20 is a view of the lower end of a Postall post showing a screw thread, 146, ending just above a cutter shaped end section with side cutting edges, 147, and bottom cutting edge, 145.

FIG. 21 is a view of a four bar tool having four wooden handles, 153, held together with common wood screws, 154, forming a square the size of a square cross section Postall post for installing typical square cross-section Postall posts.

FIG. 22 is a view looking up towards the bottom of a cutter shaped end section of a typical Postall post, showing two side cutting edges, 147, and one bottom cutting edge, 145.

FIG. 23 is a view of a single handle, 148, and belt, 151, tool, assembled with hardware, 149, made to fit around a typical Postall post, 152, shown here as round. Note that this device can be used to install a number of sizes and cross section shapes of Postall posts, as it grips more tightly when the belt, 151, is wrapped around a post and the handle is used to rotate the post clockwise in this view.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a mechanism added to a typical back-hoe tractor type vehicle, whereby a hydraulic motor, 162, rotates a socket wrench, 163, placed over a square section post, not shown, which is held loosely by holding adaptors, 165, fitted onto a set of tines, 164, on a common barrel-drum rotator. Note that the socket wrench, 163, can be replaced by a handle and belt device, such as that shown in FIG. 23, for power installation of most Postall posts.

FIG. 25 is a view of a manual installation of a Postall post, 157, where a man is shown using two handle and belt devices, 158, such as shown in FIG. 23, to rotate and screw a post into a receiving material, 159, by having a cutter shaped end section, 161, cut into and break up the receiving material allowing screw threads, 156, to follow.

FIG. 26 is a view of a back-hoe tractor vehicle, 166, using the attachment mechanism shown in FIG. 24, with a hydraulic motor, 162, a socket wrench, 163, ground level, 168, a threaded section on the tapered hull, 169, of a post, and a lower cutter shaped end section, 161. Such small, simple powered equipment is used to rapidly install Postall posts. 

1. A swiveling post to rail attachment device with the device consisting of: A. A plate with at least one attachment hole and having a hollow bulged outward spherical shaped segment with a hole through the outer most area of the hollow spherical segment; B. A spherical member which fits inside the bulged outward hollow spherical shaped segment of the plate and which has a shaft extending outward through the hole in the bulged out hollow spherical segment of the plate onto which a second member can be fitted.
 2. A swiveling post to rail attachment device, as in claim 1, except having a rail attachment fitted over the shaft extending outward through the hole in the hollow spherical segment of the plate, with the outside of the rail attachment adapter of a size and shape to fit within a second member.
 3. A traversing post to rail attachment device consisting of: A. A stationary plate having an open center with the plate having at least one mounting hole for affixing it to a stationary member and one or more looped arches; B. A traversing member with one or more bosses, which fit inside of and is secured by at least one looped arch of the plate in item A, above, and which has a shaft extending outward from the traversing member near the open center of the plate;
 4. A traversing post to rail attachment device, as in claim 3, except having a rail attachment adapter fitted over the shaft extending outward from the traversing member near the center of the plate with the outside of the adapter of a size to fit within a second member. 